Kitten
by Bonds Of Hatred
Summary: AU - "I'll see you soon, kitten." That was his last words before exiting the pet shop, leaving Lucy absolutely stunned by his actions. How in the world does she resemble the kitten he picked in the pet shop! Lucy just had to be the new girl that Loke wants to play with. LoLu, rated T to be safe.
1. Flirt

1. Flirt

Lucy waved at the little boy that had exited the pet shop with his mother and his new puppy. The blonde teenager breathed a sigh of relief as she smiled to herself. Another happy customer. Her job at the pet shop was neither exciting nor was it extravagant. It was a normal job but she liked it. Lucy loved seeing the smiles on the customer's face as they exited with the pet of their choice. She had to admit that the job was tiring but the pay there was good.

Petting the grey kitten's head lightly, she placed her back into her cage with her friends. The tinkling of the bell made her turn to face the door. Welcoming the customer with her usual voice, she looked at her next customer. Usually it would have been a family, but this time, it was a man and a woman who looked as if they were on the wrong street. Why would such good looking people with designer goods at every inch of their bodies be in a normal pet shop?

Honestly, Lucy didn't understand why they were at this shop. There were better shops at those high-end streets that would suit them better. So, why would they pick this shop of all places?

The woman had long flowing black hair that ended at her waist. She was wearing a sky blue dress which ended mid-thigh. She had long and slender legs, like those models one would see in a fashion magazine. Lucy stared at the woman, slightly envious of her figure. The male next to her looked as classy as she was. He had bright orange hair and hazel coloured eyes. He was wearing a black suit with a red tie. How could a suit so simple look so perfect on someone like that? Lucy didn't want to stare, but it just couldn't be helped. They looked so out of place.

'_What am I thinking of! They're customers! I have to tend to them at once.' _Lucy thought at once. She walked up to the couple (it was pretty obvious by how touchy-feely they were) and greeted them cheerfully. The man did not look amused by his surroundings but the lady next to him seemed pretty excited. She pulled the orange haired man to the kittens, exclaiming how cute they were. They walked pass Lucy without even acknowledging her existence. Lucy swore she could feel a vein pop out from her forehead.

"Loke baby, which one seems the cutest to you?" the woman asked, pointing to the row of kittens before them.

"Hmm? All of them seem cute to me," he replied.

Pouting, the female stomped her feet lightly. "Choose!"

Loke sighed and looked at the different kittens before him. After a few minutes of silence, he pointed to the kitten Lucy was holding before. He smiled and turned to Lucy and asked, "Can I hold her please?"

Lucy smiled and replied, "Sure, sir. She can be shy sometimes so she may squirm around if she feels uncomfortable. Do be careful not to drop her if that ever happens."

Lucy went up to the huge cage and opened it from the top. Putting her hands in, she reached for the kitten with copper coloured eyes and grey fur. Placing her in her arms, Lucy patted her head, saying sweet words to calm the kitten down. Once that was done, she handed the kitten to the customer. For a few moments, it squirmed in Loke's hold, but it calmed down soon after and snuggled into his suit. Lucy smiled at how comfortable the kitten looked.

The woman beside Loke squealed and reached her hand out to pat the kitten but the kitten hissed loudly, signaling that it didn't like the lady at all. Although it was only 4 months old, the kitten was slightly scary in the woman's eyes. She backed off immediately with a huff, annoyance apparent on her face. Loke on the other hand was enjoying the kitten's company. Anyone could see how comfortable the kitten looked in his arms.

"Why did you choose this kitten, baby? I don't like it." The woman huffed, glaring at the kitten. Lucy merely stood there, slightly amused at how the kitten had the guy's attention more than the lady at the point of time. Lucy had to hold back a grin, hoping that her expression wasn't weird in front of the customers. She started to play with the kitten in Loke's arms so that no one would think she was weird with that sort of expression on her face.

As she was playing, Loke decided to speak up. He replied, "Don't you think that her eyes are similar to its eyes? It's really big and brown. It's cute."

Lucy, who was busy playing with the kitten, saw Loke point at her. She instantly shot up to look at the orange haired male before her. "W-what? I'm sorry?"

Lucy saw the smirk that was playing on the male's lips and then she turned to the woman beside him. She was glaring full out at Lucy. Lucy could feel an evil aura seeping out from the woman's very pores. She knew that the lady was very angry. If looks could kill, Lucy would definitely be dead by now. The feeling of the woman's glare was enough to send chills down her spine. What was that guy trying to pull? He was definitely in a relationship with her!

"Your eyes. It's like hers," Loke said simply, pointing towards the kitten in his arms. "It's cute."

Lucy could feel the blush rushing towards her cheeks. Suddenly, the pet shop felt hotter than usual. After all, it wasn't every day that one would get called cute by a really handsome guy. It felt good that she had been complimented, but damn it was wrong! He had a girlfriend for god's sake!

"U-um…" Lucy mumbled, not wanting to look at either of the two in the eye. The evil aura that the woman was emitting was bad enough; she didn't need the guy's teasing to make it worse. The mewling of the kitten snapped Lucy out of her thoughts. She looked at the kitten and took her from Loke's arms. She stroked its fur lightly, grabbing a treat for the little kitten.

Lucy heard the woman storm off without of a word. Sweat was forming on her forehead. She heard footsteps going towards her. Before she realized anything, Loke was next to her and his lips were beside her ear.

"I'll see you soon, kitten." He whispered in his alluring baritone voice.

If it weren't for the kitten his her arms… If it weren't for Loke being her customer… Lucy would have definitely kicked him. _Hard._ What the hell was he trying to do? Lucy had to admit that he was pretty good-looking, but why did he have to piss his girlfriend off like that. Her eyes? Like the kittens? Cute? God, he was a stranger and yet he said such things so naturally. Lucy knew that she looked good (her appearance and sex appeal were off the charts in her opinion) but no matter how nice that compliment felt, it was just _wrong. _It felt so wrong.

"What's wrong Lu-chan?" a voice from behind asked. Lucy whipped around to see her best friend and co-worker, Levy. Levy had been eating lunch as Lucy tended to the customers, so she didn't see what had happened between her and the couple. Placing the kitten in a fenced area for it to play, Lucy started telling her everything that happened in the last 15 minutes. Levy listened to her rambling, nodding once in a while.

"… Don't you find it stupid? I can't believe it!" Lucy exclaimed, finishing off her story.

"Don't you find it cute? Like a manga or something. I can totally imagine what would happen at the end of this love story," Levy replied, seemingly excited. "This is really cute!"

"Cute?" Lucy retorted. "Trust me, Levy. I want a cute and romantic love story but it's not cute when you feel someone's killing intent within a meter's radius. It's _hell_. There was no cuteness in that at all."

"Look on the bright side, Lu-chan! He most probably won't be back along with that woman! Like you said, he and his girl dressed as if they were from really rich families. I don't think they'll return to such a place anymore. They don't really come here often… Those rich people in this town."

"That's true. Let's hope I don't cross his path ever again."

* * *

Loke chuckled to himself as he threw his jacket onto his bed. He then loosened his tie and switched on the air-conditioning in his room. Well, today was a good day for him. He finally got rid of that woman. Honestly, that woman was too clingy for his liking. Loke felt as if it was suffocating. All the women he had been going out with were all his clients when he was still a host.

Loke was the perfect gentleman. Whatever the client wanted, he gave. He treated them like princesses. That earned him the title of the number one host in the club he worked at. As long as his client was happy and paying him, he was happy. This went on for years until he had a sudden thought popping into his mind.

_Being a host is hard._ That was what Loke thought. He was getting older and he felt that having a job as a host was too demanding and it was getting boring to him. Not to mention the clingy women he had to deal with. The pay he obtained from his job as a host was a large sum, but Loke had more than enough for now. All he wanted to do at this moment was to live his life to the fullest.

Nothing mattered to him other than having fun. Flirting, hooking up, drinking, clubbing… That was all he wanted for now. As for a job, Loke did tutoring on mathematics now and then. With the money he kept when he was a host and the money from tutoring, Loke was definitely well off. This allowed him to live the carefree life he wanted.

Today, Loke found a new target to pick at. That girl at the pet shop. She had a nice body and a cute face. That was all Loke needed. It would be fun to pick at the girl from time to time. Seeing the reaction she had today, Loke knew that he wouldn't be disappointed the next time he saw her. How old was she anyway? 17? 18? That meant they were at least 8 years apart.

Then again, that wasn't the problem he was facing at that point of time at all. All he needed right now was a reason to visit that pet shop once more. At that moment, an idea popped into Loke's head. He smirked and said to himself, "That kitten. It's the perfect reason."

* * *

Hello! This is my first ever Fairy Tail fanfiction! ^^

Forgive my mistakes in this fanfiction! Completely not beta-ed (as usual).

So, this is the beginning of my new fanfiction. I hope that you'll enjoy this series as much as I enjoy writing them! I'm sorry if the characters seem OOC here and there because I'm trying to get used to their personality. It's new and nice to work with after a while. I accept any reviews you give, be it good or bad because I want to know whether they seem fine to you guys!

Bye~


	2. Reason

2. Reason

"Levy-chan, it's time to close the shop for the night. Let's make sure everything is fine and secured before leaving. Mirajane-san is on to the way to the shop already." Lucy called out to her best friend as she checked all the cages of the animals. It was already evening and the store was about to close. All the two needed to do was to wait for the store owner to come back and they could lock up for the day.

It had been a week since Lucy had seen the couple who came into the pet shop looking for a kitten. Like what Levy had said, there was no way the couple would return to such a place anymore. Lucy had finally gotten the ginger haired male out of her mind after what had happened. It wasn't every day that she would see someone like that walk into the shop.

After clearing up the shop, Lucy proceeded to sit down and wait. Levy was still cleaning the back of the shop. Lucy offered her help, but Levy politely refused saying that she had everything under control. Taking out her math homework, she stared at the math problems before her. Integration of partial fractions. Lucy let out a loud groan, sinking into the chair she was in. Although partial fractions were simple, Lucy was a careless girl. She would often make mistakes while solving those problems. Scribbling down the numbers, Lucy took her time on the problem.

"So… I have to divide this with 2x + 1…" Lucy mumbled to herself.

After 15 minutes, she was finally done with half the problem. All that was left was to integrate the partial fraction. Lucy was great with differentiation, but she was completely horrendous at integration. She couldn't remember how to integrate problems such as this. Her answer seemed weird as well. Was she careless again?

"I should have paid attention in math class…"

"That first part would be 5 ln (2x + 1)."

Lucy jumped at the voice. It wasn't Mirajane or Levy's voice. It was deeper and smoother. Lucy felt as if she had heard this voice before. Frowning slightly, Lucy looked up to see who was standing in front of the counter. Lucy froze the moment she caught the ginger coloured hair. _He's back._

"Ah… The shop is closed. You should come here tomorrow, sir. I'm sorry." Lucy replied as she smiled to the customer.

"And I thought that I could buy that little kitten…"

"I'm sorry, sir. Please come back another day."

"Having math problems?" Loke asked, smiling. Lucy stared at his face, not knowing what to reply. She couldn't believe how fast he changed the conversation to. Lucy didn't know what to reply to him. How she wished Levy or Mirajane would just pop out at this point of time. Lucy was feeling awkward as it is. Maybe it would be better if she just ignored him. Looking back to her worksheet, she tried her best to focus on completing it.

Lucy just stared at the paper, wondering how she could go about doing this question. No matter how much she wanted to concentrate on the homework, Loke's stare was distracting beyond words. What did he want from her? She already told him that the shop was closed, what more did he want?

"Want me to teach you?"

"Wha-?"

"I'm pretty good in maths."

Before Lucy could reply, Loke had already taken the pen away from her and scribbling at a blank piece of paper he had found. Staring at his working, Lucy checked hers as well. _Damn, careless again. Now I have to redo this whole question._ Lucy sighed loudly as she continued to stare at Loke's working. Lucy found his working really neat. He even wrote side notes on what to do after each step. Lucy just stared at the paper in awe. Lucy took the worksheet and flipped it to the back for the final answer. It was correct.

"Wow…" Lucy breathed.

Lucy didn't want to admit it, but Loke was smart. He did the question without hesitation and he got it right. His looks aren't the only thing that he has then. Whispering a 'thank you', Lucy took the paper and started looking through the working once more. It was flawless in her eyes. Looking up, she saw the smirk on Loke's face. She wanted to see his eyes but he wore those shades that hid them. Lucy couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Sir, you should go now." Lucy stated.

"Why?" he asked.

"The shop's close. We're closing soon."

"I'll wait for you, then."

Lucy looked at Loke with disbelief in her eyes. "You have a girlfriend. Pay attention to her. You shouldn't be trying to hit on me. She'll get jealous!"

"Her? She's just someone I go out with when I have the time."

"And she calls you baby? Yeah, I can believe that."

"At least tell me your name."

"I'd rather not," she replied. At that moment, the front door opened and Mirajane walked in. "The owner's back. You should leave, sir."

Loke picked Lucy's hand up and kissed the back of the hand and smirked. He passed Mirajane without a word and went out of the pet shop. Lucy could feel her cheeks burning up as soon as his soft lips connected with her skin. _Bye kitten, _she heard him whisper. Her mind couldn't process what was happening that well. She didn't expect that at all. Her heart was beating fast, blood was still rushing towards her cheeks and Mirajane saw what happened. What was she going to tell Mirajane?

Mirajane who walked in was looking at Lucy, her eyes bright and teasing. Walking up to Lucy, she giggled and gave a pat on her shoulder. Lucy could tell that Mirajane wanted to tease her but she was holding it in. With one last look, she went to the back of the shop to meet Levy so that they could lock up the shop. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, escaping the need to explain to her what was happening when she was gone.

Although she was able to escape today, Lucy was sure that Mirajane would interrogate her sometime tomorrow. At least it gave her time to collect her thoughts. Slowly, her mind drifted back to Loke. Again with that flirty attitude. At first thought, the action just made her blush but when her mind started processing once more, all she wanted to do was to roll her eyes.

Honestly, Lucy liked it when boys flirted with her. It made her feel wanted. It was something many girls her age liked from guys: attention. Attention from a guy would make her feel special. It felt nice, but not when the person flirted with strangers. Especially if they had a girlfriend. Lucy had to admit that she liked Loke's appearance, but she definitely did not like his flirty attitude.

Sighing once more, Lucy grabbed all of her papers and stuffed them into her bag. Mirajane and Levy was already done with the back room and they were doing a final check before switching off the lights. Exiting the pet shop, the trio said their goodbyes and made their way home.

Lucy loved walking home at night. The shining stars and moon, the comfortable silence and not to mention the cool breeze, these were the things Lucy loved about the night. It gave her time to think and reflect on her day. Lucy definitely had a lot of thinking to do tonight. About a certain someone, more specifically. Loke had visited the shop, helped her with her math and kissed her hand. Lucy couldn't think of a reason why he came to the shop.

Sure, Loke said that he wanted to but a kitten, but Lucy knew that wasn't even half the reason why he wanted to come to the pet shop. There was no way in hell that Lucy would believe that coming to the shop was his motive. _Maybe his motive is Mirajane-san_, Lucy thought. _After all, she is a part-time model. She has tons of fans. Maybe he wants to get close to her through me. I mean, it's not the first time that happened. It definitely hurts my pride though, when I think of it._

Lucy nodded her head as she came to stop in front of her apartment. Lucy was satisfied with that answer. That _had _to be the answer. It was the only thing Lucy would think off.

"Oh well," Lucy whispered. "Let's take a bath and finish off that dumb homework before heading to bed!"

* * *

Loke was happier than usual today. Who knew teasing a girl would be this fun? It was definitely a good way to pass time. Since he felt happier, he decided to go for a few drinks at the hostess club that his old host club was affiliated with. He knew a few of them there that would love to keep him company, so why not?

Loke smiled as he slung his arm around a woman's shoulder. Lucy was definitely an interesting girl in his eyes. She was probably the first girl that refused to give her name to him. Just the thought of it made him smile. She was different from the rest. She was different and Loke liked it. Feisty girls were definitely a good catch. Soon, just soon enough, Lucy would be wrapped around his little finger.

"Loke, why are you smiling to yourself? Did something good happen?" the girl on his right asked.

"Yeah, did something good happen just now?" the girl on his left asked curiously this time.

"Found an interesting girl, is all." Loke told the girls simply as he took a sip of his red wine.

The two girls whined loudly in protest the moment they heard of a new girl. They immediately pouted at the ginger haired man, clinging onto his arm. The blonde one asked, "Who is this woman? Is she rich? Pretty? What does she work as?"

The brunette on his right continued, "What about us? Aren't we enough?"

"I can't tell you her name but I can tell you she's blonde, quite pretty and I'm guessing she's a high schooler." Loke replied casually.

"Ehhhh!? High schooler? I didn't know you went for such young girls!"

"Neither did I. She's just so cute with her reactions; I can't stand still watching her."

The two giggled, as they leaned onto the male. They found Loke's reasoning pretty funny. They were slightly irritated by the fact that a high schooler had gotten Loke's attention more than they ever had but it was nice seeing him this way once in a while. Although it was cute, they wanted was Loke's full attention. Snuggling into his embrace, the two girls did everything they could for his attention.

The blonde girl had her hand on his lap, which was slowly climbing up to his manhood. Loke realized this and smirked. So _that _was what they wanted after all. Soon, her hand was at his crotch, rubbing it ever so slightly, just to tease him. Loke let out a soft groan. Damn her for being so good in whatever she did.

_Today is definitely a good day, _Loke thought. That was the last thought the ginger haired man had before he immersed himself into pleasure.

* * *

Aaaaaaaand so this concludes the second chapter!

Oh my god guys, really? 11 reviews? I swear I was squealing in delight every single time I saw a new email from ff came out! Thank you for all the support. Those 11 reviews just made me smile so widely. I couldn't believe my eyes at all! After all, my English skills are pretty rusty by now. I thought people wouldn't have liked my rusty English ^^;; I mean, it's been more than a month since I last wrote a composition/story. Even so, it was for my O levels.

I started writing this fic because I'm jobless. I have nothing to do at home, so why not eh?

**Here are some reviews I'd like to reply to:**

** Guest : The story lot is how Loke tries to grab Lucy's attention by frequently hitting on her as well as visiting the pet shop. He's also going to buy a kitten so that he can try to use it as a reason to get closer to her ^^ He wants to get close to her because he thinks that Lucy is interesting and that it would be fun to play with her for a while.**

** Emz it's a series ^^ Yes, I will be posting chapters at least once a week~**

** bytchfromhell Wee to you too bitch. Hahahaha. You suck. Change your pen name! You created one whole account just to review for me. Lubb eu bitch :***

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll be slightly busy next week with class bondings and concerts and volunteer work and stuff, so I hope you won't mind if the next chapter is slightly late! Read and Review please ^^

BYE~


	3. Lucky

3. Lucky

Levy looked at her best friend who was napping quietly beside her. Levy let out a sigh as she surveyed the class and went back to staring at the board before her. Although English was Lucy's favourite subject, Lucy couldn't help falling asleep in class. Then again, nearly three-quarters of the class was asleep from the teacher's boring lesson. Natsu was snoring softly and Gray was leaning against the wall from his seat as he slept peacefully. Gajeel didn't even bother attending the class at all.

The school bell rang loudly, waking the class up from their slumber. Slowly standing up, the class bowed and bid their English teacher goodbye. Lucy let out a loud yawn and stretched herself. _That was a good nap,_ Lucy thought. _I knew it. She went through something that I already learnt in my previous school_.

Lucy whipped out her phone to check the time. _1:45pm_. Lucy grinned. School had already ended. Lucy thanked the school for placing English period as the last period of the day. It was definitely a great idea since everyone could refresh themselves with a nap before head for their co-curricular activities, extra classes and whatnot.

"Lu-chan, let's grab some lunch before heading to the shop!" Levy suggested happily.

Lucy smiled apologetically and replied, "I'm sorry, Levy-chan. I can't do that today. I have to teach Gray some biology. He wants help since he's been failing."

"Awww, okay then. I'll be at the school library then. Call me when you're done!"

Lucy nodded and waved to the blue haired girl as she left the classroom. Lucy turned to face the table behind her. She was about to speak before she noticed the boy sleeping soundly. Gray was the one who approached her and asked her to teach him biology right after school, but there he was sleeping.

"Oi, Gray, wake up!" Lucy said slightly louder than usual as she shook the boy. A soft grunt escaped the male's lips as he slowly woke up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up at Lucy. Gray stared at the Lucy dumbly.

"You needed help in biology." Lucy stated as she crossed her arms.

"Ah!" Gray exclaimed as he stood up quickly. "Ah, sorry. Are we starting now?"

Lucy nodded as she grabbed a chair and sat next to black haired boy and pulled out the textbook. Gray looked at the yellow book in disgust. Looking at her friend's reaction, Lucy could tell how much the older male hated the subject. Lucy took out some blank paper before her and looked at Gray.

"Do you remember what our teacher thought us this morning in biology?" Lucy asked.

"Yes…?"

Lucy groaned. "Did you even pay attention?"

Silence.

"I'll take that as a no."

A few hours later, Gray was finally getting a hang of the topic and Lucy had an easier time teaching the male about genotypes. Drawing a Punnett square, Lucy told Gray to find out the genotypes of the offspring from a cross between two organisms with the genotype Ww. After a minute or so, Gray had his answers written down. Lucy skimmed through the answers and smiled.

"We're done for today! You should be fine with this part of the chapter."

"Thanks Lucy, I appreciated the help. Want to grab a bite? My treat."

"Ah… I have my part-time job to take care off."

"After it then?"

Lucy's thoughts drifted to a nice free dinner. Since she skipped Lunch and there was only instant ramen waiting for her at home, why not? Lucy nodded and agreed. They then made arrangements to meet at 9, right after she shift ended. Lucy left the classroom smiling. She then called Levy to meet her at the school gate so they could go to work together.

'_Having friends feel great.'_ Lucy thought to herself as she made her way out of the school.

In her old school, all the people who wanted to be her friends were all because she was from the Heartfilia family. To her schoolmates, having good relations with such an influential family would help their families significantly. Lucy knew what they wanted and she wasn't going to let them have what they aimed for. Lucy was sick of having to deal with those sort of people. She just had to leave.

Home wasn't much of a home as well. To Lucy, it was merely a place she lived in. There was barely anything in that house that she would call home. Not after her mother passed away when she was young. Long story short, Lucy was sick of her life in the Heartfilia house. She wanted an escape from all of the things that had occurred to her all these while.

An escape was what she wanted and it was exactly what she got. After endless fights with her father, she simply left the house. She left home with the small amount of savings she had kept since she was young. It wasn't much but it was enough to rent an apartment and enough to feed her for a few months. It took Lucy a few weeks before she had settled her school transfer, housing and part-time job.

It was at her part-time job when she met Levy. It was the first time that Lucy felt as if she had met a real friend. When they first met, Lucy didn't want to reveal her family name, Levy didn't mind at all.

"_Everyone had secrets they can't tell, right? I don't really mind, actually. It's not like it would kill anyone!" _

Lucy felt happy at that fact. What made her happier was the fact that Levi loved books as much as she did. After a few weeks working at the pet store, Lucy realised how close she had gotten to Levi. It had been such a short period of time but the blonde felt as if her blue haired friend had been a friend for years. Lucy had never felt so happy making friends. She felt as if she could just let her guard down around her and not worry whether she wanted to use her.

Lucy smiled to herself when she saw her best friend waiting at the school gate. Lucy jogged towards Levi and hooked her arm around hers and exclaimed, "Let's go!"

Levi laughed at looked at the blonde girl with fake suspicion and asked whether she was crazy since she was so happy right after tutoring Gray Biology. Levi had tutored him once as well and gave up shortly after s few lessons with him. It was pretty taxing for her to teach him.

Lucy had to admit it _was _slightly difficult to teach the male but she had a good time teaching him. The way Levi had always described Gray when Levi had been tutoring him was as if he wanted to create trouble for her. That Gray and the Gray that she had tutored was completely different. It was odd to the blonde, but she didn't pay much heed to it.

Work at the pet shop wasn't that tough either. Today was a very quiet day at the pet shop. Not many people came to the shop which was a relief to the two high-schoolers who had a huge pile of homework to complete since the mid-years were approaching in a month's time. Mira had also allowed them to complete their homework in the shop if there weren't any customers to attend to which made the two girls happier. To complete their homework in the shop meant that they had more time to sleep once they reached home.

The rhythmic sounds of the pen hitting the counter echoed softly in the shop along with the ticking of the clock. Lucy let out a huge sigh as she closed her textbook. That was more than enough physics for one day. Lucy never liked physics. It was hard enough to maintain a B in physics. Wanting a breath of fresh air, the blonde stood up and grabbed the broom.

"I'll sweep the front of the shop!" Lucy called out loudly as she exited the shop. The sun was setting and it looked beautiful, all rosy and salmon pink. The town was bathed in the glow of the sunset. Taking a deep breath, her mouth curled into a pleasant smile. Not only was she almost done with her homework for the weekend, she would be getting a free dinner for Gray later after she shift ended. The sunset was beautiful as well. Nothing could spoil her Friday.

After sweeping the front of the shop, Lucy went back in to pack up her items. Since it was Friday, the shop would usually close early. It was approaching 7 and it was time to start cleaning up parts of the shop before the closed for the day. Lucy and Levi brought the boxes of cat and dog food to the back of the store one by one. As they carried the boxes, the bell signaling that a customer had entered rang throughout the shop.

Lucy who was at the front of the shop, turned to greet the person. "Welco-"

Lucy greeted half-way before realizing who it was who entered. Gray had entered the store casually. Lucy smiled and waved at her classmate. For a moment, Lucy thought that she would see the guy in the suit once again. Lucy could only thank the heavens that it wasn't him. Lucy then turned her attention back to her friend and wondered why the male was at the shop so early. They had 15 more minutes before their meeting time. Asking him why he was late, Gray casually replied that he was bored at home so left early to meet her. Looking at the boxes that were in Lucy's arms, Gray offered to help.

Lucy refused politely since he wasn't working at the shop but Gray insisted that helped. Giving in, the blonde passed the boxes in her arms to Gray and asked him to place them at the back of the shop. Levy who spotted Gray from the corner of her eye scowled slightly and asked why he was in the shop.

"He wanted to help," Lucy told the blue haired girl casually. "We were supposed to meet after work but he came early."

"Are the two of you dating? Lu-chan, why didn't you tell me? I feel sad! What about that hot looking suit guy? Speaking of him, he didn't come today!" Levy exclaimed pointing at the two accusingly.

Gray turned to Lucy with a questioning look, curious to know who the 'hot looking suit guy' was. Lucy on the other hand was looking away, not wanting to answer the question as she tried to hide the reddening blush on her cheeks. Her mind drifted off to the memory of the ginger haired man who had planted a kiss on the back of her hand yesterday. Lucy tried to push the memory to the back of her mind as she made her way to the rest of the boxes that were waiting to be moved.

Telling Gray that it was nothing, the male shrugged and continued helping the blonde move the boxes. Mirajane on the other hand was laughing at the turn of events. Seeing her employees act this way made her laugh. It reminded her of the days when she was still in high school. _Ah, young love._ She thought as she took a sip of her coffee. Setting her mug back down, the young woman told her two pert-timers that they could go off earlier than usual. Seeing smiles on the two girl's faces made her smile.

Lucy thanked Mirajane before packing up her items on the counter and dragged Gray out of the shop. Lucy could stand being in the shop with Levy and Mirajane giving those looks at her and Gray. God, she had never been so embarrassed in her life. Lost in her thoughts, the blonde haired girl carried on dragging her friend by the hand down the street.

"Lucy, where are we going?" Gray asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. Lucy turned to her friend and gave him a blank look. It loo her a few seconds to register what she had been doing. Letting out a loud gasp, she let go of Gray's hand. Lucy could feel her face heating up from embarrassment.

"Let's find a place to eat! Yeah, let's do that! Where are we headed to right now?" Lucy rambled on and on, trying to hide her embarrassment. Letting out a hearty laugh, the raven haired boy continued walking before they reached a fast food restaurant. Lucy enjoyed the time she had with Gray. Although he could be an idiot at times (seeing the stupid fights that he always had with Natsu), Gray was a pretty nice guy.

Sitting at a corner in the fast food joint, the two talked for hours about their likes, dislikes and school. The two kept a flow of happy chatter over dinner. It wasn't long until Lucy realised that it was already late and she had to get home soon. The place she lived was pretty dark although there were street lights. To be careful, Lucy always headed home early to be safe.

Gray wanted to walk her home but Lucy politely declined. The boy had already treated her to dinner and allowing him to walk her home was too much in her opinion. Gray still insisted since it was late and Lucy gave in slightly. They decided that Gray would only walk her half way to her house. Once they had reached the half-way point, Lucy thanked Gray for the night and walked back to her house.

Lucy looked up at the sky - a blanket of black with sprinkling of sparkling white stars. The night sky was astonishingly beautiful. _It would have been a good day today if not for him…_ Lucy thought as she spun around.

"You can come out now, you know." Lucy spoke louder than usual. "I see you've come to see me, Yuusuke."

"Princess…" the male said as he came out from the shadows of the buildings. "How did you-"

"Don't even bother asking me to come back to the mansion, because I won't for the time being."

"Bu-"

"I made a promise. Just a few years of freedom and then I'll be back to receive to take over the company. I'll be back, I promise. Really, Yuu, have I ever failed to keep a promise with you?"

"Pri-"

"For the whole 6 months that I've been here have been really great, Yuu. I mean, I feel free. I have friends. I smile so freely here. I… I really love it here. I love you guys in the mansion but I just can't stand being there anymore."

Yuusuke was one of the workers in the mansion. He was a few years older than Lucy and had been her playmate since she was young. Watching Lucy grow up, all Yuusuke wanted to do was protect the blonde haired girl and nothing else. Yuusuke sighed and smiled at the blonde girl before him. Yuusuke took something out of his coat and passed it to Lucy and told her, "Here's some letters from the mansion. We'll be waiting, princess. Don't be too long."

Lucy smiled and hugged the older man. Whispering a 'thanks', Lucy asked if he wanted to go into her house to catch on what happened in the mansion for the past six months. The male politely refused, telling Lucy that he had went to visit her without anyone's permission and had to be back at the mansion before the head maid found out that he had disappeared. Wishing the elder male a safe trip home, Lucy watched as Yuusuke disappeared down the street.

* * *

"Thank you for your patronage!" Lucy called out to the customers as they left the shop.

Turning her back to the door, she made her back to the counter to wait for the next customer that would come in. The moment she sat down, the front door opened and she saw that all familiar suit and bright hair. Her smile turned into a slight frown. He was back. What did he want with the shop this time?

"Welcome!" Lucy said with lesser enthusiasm than usual.

"Not happy to see me?" he asked with amusement laced in his voice. A smirk tugged on the male's lips as he saw Lucy.

"May I help you sir?"

"Remember that kitten that I was playing with the last time I came? I was wonder if she was still for sale in the shop. I'm hoping that she hasn't been bought yet."

"Ah… She hasn't been bought yet."

"Is there any way that I could reserve her? I really like that kitten but I don't have time this week to pick her up. Is there any way that your staff can send that kitten and the necessities to my house? I'm afraid that she might be bought by the time I come next time."

"Actually, that's possible." Lucy heard Mirajane tell the man from behind her. Lucy jumped slightly in surprise and her eyes widened at what her employer had just said. "When would you like the kitten to be brought over, sir? We'll send one of our part-timers to your residence. You can pay for the kitten from your residence in cash. Is that possible, sir?"

Loke smirked and nodded his head the idea. "Sure. I'll leave my address with you and when the day you can come over with the kitten. Thank you."

Mirajane passed a piece of paper to the orange haired male as well as a pen. Loke scribbled down his name and his address before passing it to Lucy. Thanking the two, Loke left the pet shop satisfied.

Lucy stared at the piece of paper in her hands. Lucy frowned as she saw more some scribbled below his name and address. _'Looking forward to see you tomorrow, kitten.'_

Well fuck. Lucy just hoped that Mirajane wouldn't ask her to send the kitten over to Loke's house. Passing the paper to Mirajane, she prayed hard that her employer wouldn't pick her. It was as if her prayers were answered. Since tomorrow was Lucy's off day from the pet shop, Mirajane would ask someone else in the shop to send the kitten over. Sighing in relief, the blonde smiled, completely satisfied at how this problem had turned out.

Lucy was definitely pleased that she didn't need to go to the man's house and she was even happier about the fact that he didn't do anything too weird today like kissing her hand like the last time. Maybe this week was really a good week for her. Lady Luck was definitely on her side this week and she liked it that way. Hopefully, she would stay a little bit longer so that she would get a boyfriend.

Having a boyfriend would definitely be a miracle for her. Since she had a strict upbringing, having a boyfriend was certainly out of the question. Since she had her freedom for the next few years of her life, it wouldn't hurt for her to hope for a boyfriend. That was what Lucy thought as she carried on with her work.

* * *

I really took too long on this one, didn't I? I know, I know, I should get hit by a brick. Writer's blocks are the worst. Especially when you've just started a series. My brain hates me. My laptop hates me since it died on me a month ago. At least I got it back up and working! ^^ So, how do you think this chapter was? Okay? Thank you for all of the people who have read this and reviewed and remember, R & R pleaseeee~

Bye~


	4. Shishikōyō

4. Shishikōyō

Lucy hummed to herself as she did her homework. The week was coming to an end and she found the week exceptionally great. Lucy was worried that by some chance that she would have to go over to Loke's house, but that didn't happen. The kitten and all her items were delivered to his house safe and sound, without a scratch. Lucy even heard from Cana how the customer's eyes had changed the moment he saw that the person delivering the items wasn't Lucy. Oh Lucy wished she could go through Cana's memories to see the look on his face.

Lucy chuckled to herself as she remembered the way Cana explained how Loke has reacted. Lucy felt somewhat pleased that she didn't have to see him. She may be slightly flattered when Loke complimented her, but she constantly reminded herself of his playboy image. It would be disastrous to her. Even if he did fall in love with him, what could she do? Her father would never allow such a man to be by her side.

"_The company would be in __**ruins**_**.**_"_ Was what Lucy imagined he would have said.

Tapping her pen on her book softly, Lucy frowned as she turned her attention back to her unfinished homework. When did Mathematics turn into such a horrible bitch? Why did they have to make up things such as finding areas under the graphs or logarithms? Gosh, she _loathed_ logarithms. Mathematics are probably one of the few subjects that she couldn't maintain a B or A in. Physics was a completely different matter. Lucy loathed Physics as much as she loathed Mathematics. Her physics was probably worse than her Mathematics.

Erasing the workings from her paper, Lucy groaned loudly. Why could she get the answer to this question? If it weren't for homework, her weekend would have ended really well. _Fuck homework_. Lucy closed her textbook and kept her paper. Leaving one question blank wouldn't hurt. She could always ask Levy for help tomorrow morning during the silent reading period. Thank god Mondays had silent reading as first period. It gave students more time to copy unfinished weekend homework easily.

Lucy threw herself onto her bed, hugging her pillow tightly. Closing her eyes, Gray came to mind. She had to help him with biology on Tuesday as well. Lucy looked forward to her lesson with him. One of the small things she enjoyed during her short period of freedom.

Then, Loke came to mind. The orange haired male was definitely attractive to a female and there was no doubt about that. Almost everything about him was perfect. His looks, the way he treated woman (Lucy could tell at one glance the moment he stepped into the shop) as well as his brains. Lucy remembered how he had helped her with her homework. He did the work so flawlessly as if the answers were at the tip of his fingers. It made Lucy wonder where he had studied at.

If he had a high education, it made the blonde wonder even more why he was working as a host. Lucy had inferred that he was a host after their 2nd meeting. It was pretty obviously to her since his manners was that of one as well as the girl he had brought to the pet shop the other day. What other job could he have had? Lucy let out a sigh and shook her head. If only he wasn't a flirt… He would be perfect boyfriend material. Even Lucy would have gone after him.

In a nutshell, Loke's character and attitude towards the ladies was a slight turn-off. Lucy definitely felt happy hearing his praises and such but deep down she knew that he did that to every other girl.

"Gosh… What a waste… Well, at least nothing's gone wrong so far…" Lucy muttered as her sleepiness took over her.

* * *

Lucy's eye twitched as she stared at the building before her. Just when Lucy felt that life was going well, something just had to happen. It was as if life was challenging her. Lady Luck was definitely not on her side anymore. Lucy was completely sure that she had left unceremoniously last night. After all, the building that she was standing in front was the condominium that Loke resided in.

It all occurred in a flash. Lucy was relaxing at home after a long day in school, reading "City of Bones" when her phone rang. She recognized the ringtone immediately. It was a ringtone specifically set for those who worked at the pet shop. The other workers would never call her, so the only one would was Mirajane. Lucy was pondering why she had called her on her off day, but she picked up the call nonetheless. Mirajane's panicked voice was heard the moment she placed the phone to her ear.

"_Can you please do me a favour? Cana's sick and she can't send the item to the buyer's house and I no one else to ask! Levi has tuition and the rest aren't answering their phone as of now. Please say you'll deliver the kitten items," Mirajane begged on the phone._

Mirajane was managing the shop alone and there were no part-timers to send some toys for kittens. Lucy sighed and agreed to send the items to the buyer's house. Lucy couldn't leave her manager alone at this state. She had to aid her in one way or another and that led her to Loke's house.

The more Lucy stared at the building before her, the more she regretted picking up the call from her manager. The blonde cursed inwardly, telling herself how stupid she was to be happy that Lady Luck was on her side. _Life's so unfair at times,_ Lucy thought as she made her way to the apartment building. _You know, when I say that nothing could go wrong, it wasn't a challenge. _Lucy was stunned by the interior of the building. It made her feel that she was back in her old school where everything was just extravagant. Just looking at the place reminded her of her old life back in the house.

Everything was unnecessary and over the top. Every fibre in her body hated the place.

Why of all customers who ordered toys for kittens, why must it be _him?_ This thought agitated the blonde girl till no end. Did he do this on purpose since she didn't send the kitten last weekend? Was this like a so-called revenge of his? Lucy didn't want to know. Whatever it was, Lucy wanted to get the delivery done and over with. Why he even request a delivery to his house if he would be home today? _Busy? _Lucy thought, frowning. _Busy flirting with every human who has a vagina more like it._

What a load of bullshit.

If only the kitten toys weren't out of stock, Cana would have delivered these items to the ginger haired man last week instead of this week. Of all days for Cana to get sick, _of course_, it had to be the day she was to deliver the kitten toys to Loke's house. This time, it really felt as if this scene had been taken out from some random shoujo manga.

Heading to the lift lobby, Lucy took in a deep breath. She had to prepare to meet the ginger and make sure nothing would happen to her in his house. Lucy was practically walking into a lion's den. It made her slightly nervous but the fact that she had learned aikido since she was 7 made her feel so much better. At least she had something to protect herself with when the time permits her use it.

Looking back, Lucy **had **been attacked a few times before. As she got older, the amount of kidnappings grew scarce. That was because there was always a guard around Lucy and the fact that she would attack anyone who tried to pull any tricks behind her back. Being in such a well-known family definitely had its perks but it also had its downfalls.

As Lucy grew up, she was barely shown to the public. She did go to a few important events to socialize, but other than that, the world outside the rich knew nuts about her. That would explain why not many people knew who she was when he entered the school. Her identity was kept from being known to most of the public for security reasons and since she wanted her freedom, all the more her picture and particulars were classified upon entering the school.

_**DING!**_

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts as the elevator door opened. Taking a step out, Lucy looked at the small piece of paper in her hands:

**Loke**

**Magnolia Town, Fairy Tail Condominium**

**Street 48, **

**Floor 14, #14-394**

Walking down the hallway, she stopped in front of a door. With every step that Lucy took to reach that door, the amount of dread within her started to accumulate more and more. She really didn't want to be here. Pressing the doorbell, she took a step backward, waiting for the male to open the door. After a minute passed, he still didn't open the door? Was he not at home? That couldn't be. Mirajane said that he would be at home to collect the item.

_Tsk._

Flipping the small piece of paper behind, she found a code to enter the house and a small note as well. _Let yourself in with this code, Kitten._ Seeing that little nickname the older male had for her made her scowl slightly. Keying in the code, Lucy heard a soft click before the door opened for her. She stepped inside and her jaw dropped. The place was unnecessarily _huge_. Lucy was sure he lives by himself since he had that kind of lifestyle. It was a wonder how he kept his place so clean.

Lucy ventured in and found a coffee table to place the toys. Setting them down, she surveyed the place once more. _Meow._ Lucy's brows knitted into a frown. Where was that mewling coming from? _Meow._ Lucy started walking into a room and looking around for the source of the kitten's mewling. _Meow_.

Lucy smiled as she saw the little kitten on a king's sized bed. She sat down on the side of the bed and patted the space next to her, asking the kitten to come to her. Cooing softly, she had gestures to call the kitten towards her. The kitten ran towards Lucy and licked her hand. Lucy smiled as she pet the kitten's head affectionately.

"So, how are you doing? Is he treating you well? You look good today." Lucy whispered to the kitten, her frown transforming into a huge grin. Picking up the kitten, Lucy hugged her close to her chest, as she continued to pet the kitten. Planting a kiss on the kitten's nose, she let the kitten go on the bed. "I should go now. Your owner's not here is he? He'll play with you with the new toys he bought. Just wait patiently okay? Bye!"

"Going so soon?" an amused voice spoke up. Lucy froze. _Shit._ She wanted to go home as soon as she delivered the items but that plan had gone down the drain the moment she saw the kitten. He was already home. Turning to face the older man, Lucy's eyes widened as blood quickly rushed to her cheeks, painting them a nice shade of pink. There in all his glory stood Loke, only clad in his towel and fresh out of the bath. Lucy could see his defined muscles that many wouldn't have a chance to see with the suit that he usually wore when she saw him.

Loke wasn't _that_ buff like Mirajane's brother but the muscle that he had was proportionate to his body, Not too much, and definitely not too little. Lucy wouldn't help but to stare a little longer before she tore her gaze away from his body. Somehow, Lucy could just feel that a smug grin was playing on his lips as he saw her reaction towards him. Lucy was at a loss.

_What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?_

Looking down onto the floor, Lucy muttered "sorry, I'll leave". Quickly passing by the ginger haired male, she tried to walk as fast as she could to the door but Loke was faster. Cursing inwardly, she looked up at Loke with a slight questioning look.

"Stay for a moment. I'll make some tea. You must have travelled a long way and I doubt Shishikōyō wants you to leave. Look, she already calling for you." Loke told her as he pointed to the small kitten that was mewling at her feet.

Lucy looked at the ginger slightly perplexed. Shishikōyō? Lion Brilliance?

"Yes, her name means Lion brilliance. I have this small attraction towards lions, so…" Loke's explanation trailed off as he ran his fingers through his wet hair.

"Y-you… Heard my thoughts…?"

"No, you spoke out loud." Loke told the blonde haired girl, chuckling happily.

"A-ah… Anyway, put a shirt on! Have some decency!"

"I thought you liked the view?"

"No I don't!" Lucy fought back as she scooped the little kitten into her arms and turned her back on the older male. _Shit. _What the hell was she still doing in his house? If it weren't for little Shishi (Lucy thought it's be nice to give the kitten a nickname), she would have left the house a long time ago but the kitten was slightly too attached to her, even back at the pet shop.

The little kitten purred as she made herself comfortable in Lucy's arms. Lucy walked towards the couch that was placed wear the window and took a seat there. She waited for Loke to get dressed. She scanned the house once more and her eyes finally landed on the heap of papers and a book carelessly discarded next to her on the couch. How did she not notice the items there before she sat anyway? She slowly placed Shishikōyō on her lap and took the papers in her hands to set them neatly in a pile.

As she did that, she realised that the papers contained mathematical problems. She stared at them for a moment, puzzled at why Loke would have such things in his house. Did he date _middle school girls_? The problems that were on the paper were questions that could be done by middle school students. Lucy paled slightly and she felt sick all of a sudden.

It couldn't be true, right…?

"It's my student's. Just saying." A smooth baritone voice said behind her.

Lucy jumped slightly as his voice. Loke passed by the couch and went to the kitchen to prepare some tea for her. His student…? The weight that was holding Lucy's heart down was lifted in an instant. It was his student. Wait, what?

"You're a teacher?" Lucy asked surprised at what the ginger haired man had told her in the last minute.

"A tutor actually. I'm currently tutoring one of my friend's cousin to pass the time away after graduating from uni. I don't feel like getting a job anytime soon, so..."

"No wonder you're so _busy_." Lucy scoffed as she set the papers onto the table and placed the book on it as a paperweight.

"Ah, that's because my old clients were calling me to go out."

"So you _are _a host."

"_Was_ my dear. I _was _a host. I grew tired of it, so I quit."

"… And you're still able to afford living in this house."

"Pretty much yes." Loke said, amusement laced in his voice as he saw the shocked look in the blonde's face. He placed the tea in front of Lucy and sat next to her. "Here you go. It's chamomile tea. It releases fatigue."

"Thank you."

Lucy took a sip of her tea and silence hung over the two. Lucy had never felt this awkward in all her life. There was nothing to talk about at all and that's because he barely knew the guy! What was she doing, sipping tea in a stranger's house? Lucy was being careless these days, not being on guard as she used to. Lucy cursed herself inwardly as she took another sip of her tea in hopes that would make the visit less awkward.

Then, it was Loke that broke the long silence. "Are you still having problems with your mathematics? I'd gladly help."

"It's fine, I can confide the teacher for any questions. We have double Mathematics and double Additional Mathematics tomorrow back to back. I'll have enough time to ask her about one question. Well, do you have problems with Shishikōyō? I'd gladly help."

Loke smirked. "Can I take that as a move to meet me more often?"

No, you can't because it's not." Lucy replied without hesitation.

"That's a pity. I'm pretty attracted to you, Lucy."

"…And every other human with a vagina."

"You don't like me that much, do you?"

"Not after seeing you flirt."

"So, if I stop flirting, so I have a chance?"

Silence filled the room and the only thing the two could hear was the ticking of the clock in the living room. Lucy quickly placed Shishikōyō onto the couch and stood up. She had to get out of the house before she started treading on dangerous grounds. She shouldn't be getting close to someone who would only cause her trouble. After all, her freedom was limited. She didn't want any trouble throughout the years of her freedom. That was the last thing she ever wanted to happen.

"I've got to go." Lucy said hurriedly as she opened the door and left the apartment. Loke stared at the closing door of his house, wondering why the bonde suddenly decided to leave. Was he moving too fast? Maybe he should take things slowly so she wouldn't freak out as much.

Yeah, he should have thought of that earlier. Well, it was now back to square one. It was time to take a different approach. Well _fuck_.

* * *

I'm back! Hehehe, So, how was the chapter ok? good? unsatisfactor? Honestly, I'm not feeling too good right now as I think I've caught my grandmother's flu and fever. This chapter was slightly rushed so please forgive me for any gramatical error and stuff. And yes, Shishikōyō is one of Loke's moves in the anime. HEHEHEH. Thought I'd used it since it sounded cool 8D

And WhalesEverywhere is so mean to me :( Saying my Mathematics sucks:( Okay, it's actually true. HAHAHAHA. B for Mathematics and C for Additional Mathematics. Yup, I totally suck. Thanks for reminding me :'(

Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review if you like it!^^

Byeeeeeeeeee~


	5. Swayed

5. Swayed

Lucy picked up her pace as she left Loke's house. She could feel how hot her cheeks were and she knew how awfully red they would have been by now. Reaching the lift lobby, she thanked the heavens above that the lift was open for her to enter. Pressing the button for the ground floor, the doors of the lift closed and started to descend.

Inside the lift, Lucy covered her face as she took in a deep breath to calm herself down. What was wrong with her? This was absolutely absurd. Why was her heart beating so ridiculously fast? The blonde slapped her face slightly, trying to bring herself back to reality. _Come on Lucy, _she thought to herself. _Don't be swayed by his words. He was a host and he will continue to act like one. He uses those sugar-coated words on everyone. Don't be stupid and use your brain. This is reality._

Lucy faced the mirror in the lift and saw that her face was slowly returning to its usual colour. Sighing in relief, the blonde fixed her hair and made sure it looked nice before facing the front. Looking up to check what floor she was at, the blonde couldn't help but to let out a groan. There were 12 more floors to go. _Great_.

**DING!**

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief as she exited the lift and the condominium. Thank god she didn't need to step into the place anymore after this. This was the last place the blonde wanted to be right after what had just happened. It angered Lucy slightly at how easy it was for the ginger haired man to say such words. Of course, as a host, it was given that he would act like that but it still intrigued the teenager how easily the words came out from his lips.

Stop flirting? That was _ridiculous_ to her. She doubted that the male was seriously about that. And the thing that angered her the most? It was that she almost fell for it. Lucy had to admit that the male had a way with the ladies. His words were sweet and definitely what women would want to hear from the man they liked. It was almost perfect words that women could fall for instantly.

Lucy thanked herself that her rational mind ruled over her heart at times such as these. It really helped keeping her away from the people she didn't want to associate herself with. Lucy sat down at the bus stop, waiting for her bus to arrive. Wanting to listen to her iPod, she went to unzip her bag.

Then, Lucy froze. She didn't have her iPod with her. Wait, she didn't even have her _bag_ with her. Lucy felt anger bubbling within her and all she wanted to do at that moment was to scream all the profanities she knew as loud as she could to release her anger. How could she have been these careless? Sure, the bag was small to begin with but how did she not notice how she wasn't carry a _bag_ that she initially brought to his place. Lucy wanted to slap herself so badly at that point of time. She felt so stupid.

After a few minutes of silent fuming, the blonde thought of the things she could do at that point of time. On the bright side, her cellphone and house keys were in her pocket. Lucy thanked god that she always kept those items in pocket. She had the house keys but the problem was… How was she supposed to get home? The condominium was an hour form the pet shop by bus. God knows how long it'll take her to return home by foot.

Taking in a deep breath, the blonde started her journey, slowly walking home alone. It would have been bearable if she had her iPod, but it was in her bag along with her wallet and her pocket money for the rest of the month. Thinking of all the things that were in her bag really got Lucy dejected. There was no way she would be returning to the male's house anytime soon. Maybe Loke would have seen the bag and returned it to the pet shop. But what if he didn't?

The luck she had in her previous week had disappeared in an instant. It was ridiculous how fast her luck had run out. Following the signs on the roads, Lucy took about an hour and a half before the pet shop was in sight. Lucy trudged into the shop, her feet aching badly. She silently made her way into the back of the shop where she plopped herself down onto the couch.

_Finally._ She could finally rest her feet. It felt as if it would fall at any given moment. Moaning in pure bliss, the blonde closed her eyes to rest for a moment. As she was resting, she heard the door to the room open and she heard footsteps approaching her. Cracking an eyes open, the blonde turned to see who was in the room. There Mirajane was, smiling apologetically to her.

Lucy smiled and said, "Oh, hi Mirajane-san."

"I'm sorry you had to send the items to his house Lucy," Mirajane told her as she sat next to the blonde. "I hope it wasn't much trouble for you."

"That was the least of my problems, Mira-san. I left my bag at his house by accident and I really don't want to head back to his house to get it." Lucy complained as her bottom lip jutted out to form a cute pout.

"Were there any valuables inside the bag?"

"The bag had my wallet as well as my iPod in there. Such bad luck, eh? I think I might go and get my bag from his house after school tomorrow. Let's see how it goes."

"Be careful when you head there okay? I wouldn't want anything to happen to you.I'll pick the bag up for you instead if you feel uncomfortable to go there again." Mirajane offered.

Lucy nodded and smiled. "Sure Mirajane-san. Well, I'll head home now. I'll see you tomorrow at work, Mira-san!"

Mirajane waved at the blonde girl as she left the shop. Mirajane's smile faltered as she remembered what had happened half an hour ago. Loke had entered the shop, asking for Lucy's whereabouts. It intrigued her why the ginger haired man had come to ask for her when she was to send his goods to his house.

Mirajane knew that Loke had his eyes on the blonde girl. It was so obvious by the way he was acting towards her. It was the same look he had always given every other girl that he took interest in back then. Loke simply hadn't changed. Even up until now, his philandering ways had yet to cease. It irritated the woman slightly at how he had taken interest in her employee. Maybe it was time to give the ginger haired man a stern warning. There was no way she would let someone like him play around with her workers.

Closing her eyes, Mirajane remembered the times when she was always by the ginger's side. They were the perfect duo. No one dared to touch them. They always had each other's backs. Her past wasn't as sweet as one would think it was. It was one that was filled with fights and blood. Her reputation was known throughout the town back then.

The white-haired female laughed inwardly as she remembered her old self. She was always dressed in a punk gothic style and was very temperamental. She always remembered how she used to bad-mouth everyone she hated. Every single day, the duo would be engaged in multiple fights, in and outside of school. They feared nothing. They couldn't care less about the principal kicking them out of school or not. The only thing in their mind was to fight and be the strongest in the town.

After all, Mirajane Strauss was "The Demon" back in her old days and Loke was her childhood best friend.

* * *

Lucy dragged her feet down the lane as she slowly made her way back home. Her feet ached badly but the thought of her comfy bed and a warm bubble bath awaiting her at home somewhat made her feel better. As she approached her apartment, she noticed a familiar figure. She knew she saw that orange hair before. It was Loke. A mixture of happiness and slight anger was welling up in her heart. She wanted to see him and yet she felt as if she wanted to stay away from it. Her feelings were confusing her so much.

The ginger spotted her as Lucy approached the ginger haired man. In his hand was a small bag. Lucy's eye lit up immediately when she saw the bag. That was the bag she had left at his house by accident. Running towards him, she spoke up, "Oh my gosh, that's my bag. Thank you for bringing it here."

"You're welcome, Kitten," Loke replied, looking amused. "How about dinner?"

_Think fast Lucy._

"Uhh… I really need to study so-"

"Not so fast, Kitten. No dinner, no bag."

_Shit._

Happiness slowly drained from her face and slight annoyance took its place. What was this guy playing at? The blonde was tired and all she wanted to do was to rest, but the orange haired male still wanted to play with her. This was absurd. Lucy had half the mind to just ignore him and let him have the bag instead but her mind kept reminding her of the money that she had in the bag. Her allowance for the rest of the _month_. That was something she couldn't bear to lose. It was important and she really didn't want to starve for the rest of the month.

Straining a smile, Lucy agreed to have dinner with the male on the condition that she could have her bag back after the dinner. The male led Lucy to his car and even opened the door for her. If Lucy wasn't used to this treated back when she was at her old house, she would have blushed at how gentlemanly the male was.

The journey to the place for dinner was awkward. There was nothing to talk about. After all, they barely knew each other than the fact that Loke had just bought a kitten from the pet shop that she was working at. Trying to keep composed wasn't such an easy task at all. The blonde was trying her best not to squirm every time he looked at her.

"So…" Lucy asked, breaking the silence between them, "Where are we going?"

'Where would you like to go?"

"Umm… Burger King?"

Loke chuckled at the blonde's choice for dinner. Making a left turn, the ginger continued down the road until the fast-food joint came into view. Most women would demand Loke to bring them to expensive restaurants but the blonde chose a normal teenage hang out place. It was… a change. A change that Loke found interesting and rather liked. It had been a pretty long time he had last set his foot in a burger joint. All those host activities he had been doing really didn't include cheap burger joints.

Parking his car, the two made their way into the burger joint. Finding a secluded table, Lucy sat down awkwardly. What was she supposed to do now? After taking her order, Loke left Lucy's bag with her and went to buy their dinner. Honestly, Lucy wanted to bail on the ginger haired man and just leave but she that would mean she would break her promise.

That was something Lucy didn't really want to do. Breaking promises were the few things in life she refused to do, Even if she didn't like that person. Lucy opened her bag to find all her things in place. Everything was in order. All Lucy needed to do right now is get through the dinner and never see him again. That was it.

It didn't take that long before Loke returned with their dinner. Loke could see the blonde's eyes light up as he set the food onto the table. He chuckled silently. _Like a kid on Christmas morning._ Lucy immediately bit into her burger, sighing happily. Loke couldn't help but to feel amused as he watched her eat.

Silence overtook the two as the continued eating without exchanging words. Loke was tired of the silence and spoke up, saying, "You left your wallet in your bag, right? How did you get home?"

"I had to walk. I didn't have any change to ride the bus." Lucy replied, letting out a loud sigh. Boy, was she tired after that walk.

"You walked? Really?"

"Yeap. It took me _forever _to find my way back to Mirajane-san's shop by foot. It was horrible. Lesson learnt. Check that everything is with you before leaving someone's house."

"It's partially my fault that you left without checking right? I kind of went overboard with my words, just now. You must have felt uncomfortable, right? I'm sorry."

Lucy was slightly taken aback by his words. Was he really apologizing to her? For that? Really? What was this? Another ploy of his to make sure that she would be on speaking terms with him once more? Lucy wasn't very sure of what his motive was, but she accepted the apology nonetheless. All the blonde had to do know was to be more careful around him right now. It was simple enough, right?

"So… May I know your name?" Loke asked.

Lucy thought carefully as she munched on her turkey bacon. Was she really going to tell him her name? Lucy was at a slight loss. This was a decision that was hard to make. After a few more seconds of pondering, the blonde replied, "Even if you knew it, you would still call me kitten, won't you? So, it's not much of a difference, really."

Loke chuckled at Lucy's answer. He knew that she wasn't giving in any time soon, so fine. It was a game that he would play along with. He was going to enjoy making the blonde fall for him.

"Hmm, that's true. So, I'll permanently call you kitten then?"

"It's fine with me."

Honestly, the dinner with Loke wasn't as awkward as she though it would be. Loke easily kept the conversation going, moving from topic to topic so Lucy had more things to say. In the course of an hour or so, Lucy found out a few things:

1. Loke was 8 years older than her.

2. Loke is his 'stage name'.

3. He was the 2nd most popular host in the club.

4. He graduated from the top university in Magnolia Town.

5. Loke is very fond of cats.

It was quite a lot of things she found out. For starters, Lucy couldn't believe how Loke was 8 years older than her. He looked more of a university student rather than someone who has graduated years ago. It was weird. What was even weirder was the fact that the man graduated from the top university in the town as well as top of his class. It was ridiculous as to how such an intelligent man became a host. It intrigued the blonde so much.

Of all jobs to choose… He chose a host. It was something Lucy could not fathom.

After dinner, Loke sent the blonde all the way home even when she protested. _'It late,_' Loke reasoned out to her. '_I can't leave such a beautiful lady walking home at this hour, can I?'_

With nothing to counter the older man with, Lucy gave in and allowed him to send her home. He was a real gentleman up until the end. Reaching her apartment door, Lucy turned to face Loke and thanked him for the night once more.

"You're welcome, Kitten." Loke told the blonde as he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. He then left, leaving the blonde stunned by his actions.

Lucy snapped out of trance and ran into her apartment, quickly shutting the door behind her. _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. _Her racing heartbeat, her steadily reddening cheeks… Lucy knew she was slowly being swayed by the ginger's actions. Lucy slapped her cheeks lightly and reminded herself of her position. This was no time to be finding trouble. She only had a few years of freedom before she had to return to the mansion.

"C'mon Lucy, remember your place. You are Lucy Heartfilia. Don't find trouble for yourself or the family." Lucy whispered as her entered the bathroom. All Lucy wanted now was a nice warm bath and a good night's sleep. All the problems pertaining Loke could wait. For now.

* * *

Hello my lovelies, I am back! It's been over a month since I updated, hasn't it? Let me start off by saying sorry that I'm late. School started up about a month ago and I'm trying to get used to the new environment. Not only that, I'm trying to get used to the subjects that I'm taking. Computer Architecture is a bore really. Data connections and Networking is a bore as well. I can't understand the lectures at all. Thank god for tutorials.

I may be updating around the next two weeks (I hope). I have loads of assignments and projects to complete, so forgive me if I'm late in updating. So, enough of me. How have you guys been doing? I feel like I want to get to know you guys better, please tell me how your day was or something. I'll take my time to read and reply every single one of you. ^^ So, review, ok~?

Oh, and sorry for all the grammatical errors if you spot any. ^^;;

It's time to go~ See you guys in the next chapter~ Ja ne~


	6. Modelling

6. Modelling

"No, start over Gray. We're not ending this lesson until you memorize the menstruation cycle. The teacher said it'll be in our upcoming examination, so try and remember it, will you?" Lucy asked the raven-haired boy as she tapped her pen on the biology textbook, signalling that he should reread the page.

Gray let out a groan and sunk into his seat. Gosh, how he hated biology. What was the point of studying the subject in the first place? It wasn't as if he wasn't to pursue a career that had to do with science! What _was_ the point of studying the menstruation cycle? Sighing softly, the raven-haired man pulled the textbook towards him to reread the page.

This continued for the next hour. Lucy would continue to reprimand him and Gray would reread the textbook. It was a never-ending cycle. Nothing was getting into his head at all. Why did Lucy have to make Biology look so simple? The way she exuded confidence when she answered questions left Gray in a trance.

Glaring at his textbook, Gray tried to absorb all of the information given in his textbook. After a few minutes, Gray declared, "I can't do this Lucy. I'm sorry. Let's call it a day."

Looking at the male's stressed face, Lucy gave in and nodded. "Fine. We'll stop for today but by Thursday, this must be at the tip of your fingers, do you understand me?"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Shaking her head, Lucy packed her items and bid the male goodbye. All she had to do now was to meet up with Levy. They had a study session today and Lucy was already running late. Picking up her pace, Lucy made her way to library to meet her friend. Upon entering the library, Lucy spotted her dear friend at a secluded table, completely concentrated on her work.

As their examinations were coming, the two managed to get two weeks off from their part-time job at the pet shop. Having an understanding employer had its perks. Settling down next to her best friend, she started to work on her mathematics once more.

It didn't take the blonde long before her face was showing signs of confusion and stress. What was she doing wrong with the question? Why wasn't she getting the correct answer? The answer was a whole number and yet she was getting fractions. If only Levi took Additional Mathematics instead of Principles of Accounts, she would have asked her how to do this.

Was she being careless?

Did she miss a step?

Or did she attempt the questions wrongly?

Letting out a groan of discontent, she stared at the paper blankly. The homework was due tomorrow and yet she wasn't even half done. Lucy could feel the impending doom inching closer and closer. Maintaining grades was probably the hardest thing Lucy had ever done in her life. Even social and dining etiquette was simpler. Heck, even her work at the pet shop was better than this! It wasn't as if she would be going into an engineering course right after high school.

She would be going into business anyway. She had to take over the company when she was older and it would only deem fit that she would be placed into a business course. So, why wasn't she taking Principles of Accounts again?

Crushing the paper into a ball, Lucy re-did the question on a fresh sheet of paper. She had to get this right. She just had to. Directing all of her focus on the question, Lucy attempted it once more. Minutes passed and Lucy's patience was wearing thin. Not only could she not answer the question, the school was being unbelievably noisy today. Was there an event in school she didn't know of?

Girls were glued to the library's window, whispering and squealing. The girls here were being so noisy. What was the point of being in the library if she wasn't going to get the peace and quiet she wanted? How absurd.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde calmed herself down. Maybe the question was giving her too much stress. Maybe that's why she was being pretty short tempered right now. Or PMS maybe? Lucy didn't know. All she knew was that she wanted the people around her to be quiet so she could concentrate on her work.

Somehow, the noise level never went down. All it did was get louder and louder. Whispers turned into normal talking and squeals got louder. What on earth was happening? As much as Lucy wanted to know, she'd rather pay attention to her book than to her surroundings. She had a question to finish!

Glancing at the clock in the library, Lucy let out a soft whine. She spent 20 minutes on the question and yet she couldn't answer it. This was horrible. Looking at her surroundings for the first time in a while, Lucy let out a loud gasp. What was he doing here?

Lucy stood up immediately as the male waved at her. Lucy wore a horrified expression as all the girls sent her hateful glares. Whisperings grew louder and Lucy could hear the displeasure amongst the girls in the library. As the male walked towards her, Lucy panicked slightly. Turning to Levy, she mouthed a "sorry" before dragging the male out of the library so they could talk.

"Hurry!" Lucy whispered as she pulled the male to an empty part of the school.

Once they were alone, Lucy turned to face the male. "What are _you _doing here?" Lucy asked as she folded her arms against her chest, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I wanted to see you is all." The male replied, a large grin plastered on his face.

"See me? You could have called me to meet up with you!"

"But I missed you!"

"Eve, this is not the time to be acting cute. Why are you here?"

"I'm not lying!" the blonde replied indignantly, "I went to your house but the butler said you moved out so I begged the maids to tell me where you were!"

"Begged? More like flirt with all of them."

"That's mean…"

"Well, shouldn't you be schooling right now? Where's you tutor?"

"I had work, so…"

Lucy stared at the younger male before her. Her hand reached out to his ear and twisted it slightly. A loud yelp escaped the male's lips as his face contorted slightly with pain. Lucy was smiling at him but the male knew all too well that she wanted to murder him at that point of time.

"I'm sorry!" he whined, trying to get out of the female's grasp but only to make her twist his ear even more. "I just came here to ask you whether you wanted to model with me or not! You're not getting money from uncle, right? This can help you!"

"Exams are coming, Eve. I don't have any time."

"Please? I'm short of people right now…"

"No means-"

"You're just thinking that you're not pretty enough, right?"

"Wha-"

"Admit it."

"I am confident of my body and my looks Eve, and you know that."

"Then show me."

"Fine, I will! When?" Lucy retorted without a second thought. Lucy froze. Eve grinned at his cousin's horrified expression. She fell right into his trap. Grabbing her hand, the younger male led his cousin out of the school and into the car that was waiting for them.

* * *

"I can't believe I fell for this…" Lucy muttered as she entered the place where she would have the shoot. Eve who was right next to her grinned widely.

"Oh come on cousin dear, it won't be that bad." He replied. "Now, off you go. The make-up onee-chan is waiting for you."

Lucy then made her way into the caravan to be greeted by 5 older woman. Smiling awkwardly, she bowed and greeted them. After simple introductions, the women got started on the young teenager's make-up. There wasn't much make-up applied onto the blonde at all. A little blush and eyeliner and she was good to go.

After finishing Lucy's makeup, the blonde was then ushered to the changing room. Once inside, Lucy looked at the clothes that she had to wear for the photo shoot. It was a simple floral summer dress that ended half-way up her thigh. Black stilettos were given to her as well.

Lucy smiled at the choice of clothes. It was something she really liked. It wasn't as figure hugging as she thought it would be, but she found the dress to be very cute. The blonde carefully put on her clothes, making sure she wouldn't ruin the hairdo the hairstylist look time to do.

More of less contented with how she looked, Lucy exited the changing room. Smiling towards the staff in the room, she twirled around and asked, "How does it look?"

"It really fits you, Lucy!" the female staff gushed as they continued to stare at the teenager. Lucy beamed as they complimented her. As Lucy continued to talk to the staff, she heard a soft mewl. Lucy froze the moment she heard another mewl from the corner of the room. Asking the staff whether they heard the mewling, the staff pointed to the cage at the side of the room. It apparently belonged to one of the models who was going to be in the same shoot as her.

'_He wouldn't mind me taking a look at his cat, right?' _Lucy asked herself as she made her way to the cage. Peering into the cage, Lucy smiled. It was a kitten. How cute. Squealing softly, the blonde opened the cage and reached in to carry the small kitten.

"Hey little guy," Lucy whispered. "Are you tired of being in that cage? Lonely isn't it. Don't worry, I'll play with you for now. You do remind me of someone's cat though… Just a coincidence, maybe?"

The kitten purred happily, snuggling against the blonde as she pet its head. She really missed the animals in the pet shop and she kind of missed Shishikōyō. Speaking of that little kitten, the kitten that she was holding resembled that her greatly.

"You remind me of his kitten…"

"Maybe because it _is _his?"

Lucy scrunched up her face and closed her eyes, not wanting to believe that it was him. Lucy wanted to believe that she was dreaming and that wasn't his voice at all and how the kitten she was holding onto was his. _He's not there, He's not there, He's not there… _The blonde continued to chant as she slowly turned around.

Cracking an eye opened, Lucy's face fell as he saw the all too familiar orange hair. Loke could see the displeasure that was displayed on her face. He just couldn't help but to be amused at the sight of her acting this way.

Loke faked hurt and asked, "Do you not want to see me this badly, kitten? I'm hurt."

"You'll live with it, Loke." Lucy replied sourly.

"Well, Shishikōyō seems to have a taken a liking towards you," Loke noted. "Like me."

Lucy gasped at Loke's open flirting. What was he trying to do? Tell everyone that he was trying to flirt with her? Couldn't he just subtly do it or maybe even stop it altogether? Lucy surveyed her surrounding and saw how all the women in the room was whispering about what was happening.

Lucy let out another groan as she remembered what happened in school two hours ago. First the school and now at her 'workplace'. Today wasn't a good day. She had been gaining too much attention the today and she wanted to stop it. She was supposed to lie low and have her freedom not modelling for everyone to see! Why was she doing this again?

'_Oh right, my dear cousin got me into this.' _Lucy thought bitterly as she continued to pat Shishikōyō.

"Right." Lucy replied curtly.

Loke sauntered towards the teen and slung his arm casually around the blonde and said, "Oh come on, don't be like this."

"I will if you carry on doing this."

"Fine, Fine. I'll stop but you will have to get used to this intimacy. I mean, you will be my partner for this photo shoot. Along with Shishikōyō that is."

"You – wha – I – HUH?"

"You. Me. Model. Partners."

"Oh the fucking joy." Lucy muttered acerbically under her breath. All she wanted was to get the modelling over and done with. Furthermore, she thought that she would be modelling with her cousin, not… Loke. Lucy was fine with modelling. She was, after all, very confident in her body, looks and her sex appeal especially. The thing that was bothering her right now was the fact that she had to model with Loke.

Lucy wanted to distance herself from the man; put some space between themselves but what did she get? A modelling job with the ginger haired man. This is was going to bring them closer. Literally.

Lucy was 100% sure that they were going to have to act like a couple and she didn't like that one bit. Right now, she had half the mind to just give up the job and not listen to her cousin but the money that she would be able to earn was tempting as hell.

She wouldn't mind the extra money in her pocket, especially when festivals and trips were coming and she really have to buy new clothes. _That's it. I'm going to psycho myself into doing this. It's for the money, Lucy. For the money. For the money. For the money, _she chanted to herself.

Loke however had been amused with her choice of words. He didn't take the blonde girl as someone who would curse in front of anyone at all. Loke had to thank Eve as well for helping him get Lucy into modelling. Having connections were so good. A simple background check on Lucy got him to know almost everything about her.

Her name, her family background, her wealth…. Everything. He was intrigued by the fact that she had been hiding this secret from everyone. He was even more intrigued as to why a daughter of such a wealthy man is studying in a normal high school and leaving in such a cheap apartment in town.

He wanted to know more, learn more about his little kitten. She was amusing, unlike the others. He wanted to tease her more. Loke _wanted _her. Even if it took him a long to get into her heart, Loke didn't mind. Being around his kitten made it fun for him every day. Loke knew she was physically attracted to him. It wasn't that hard to tell when her reactions were so huge.

Despite the physical attraction, Loke knew there was nothing more than that and he didn't like it. He wanted more. He wanted all of her. Loke could imagine the blonde moaning in his arms as he trailed hot kisses down her neck, how perfect her body was, how he was littering hickeys all over her body to show that she was his… Loke wanted that so badly.

All he had to do was make that thought into reality. He needed her to let her guard down and trust him. After that, everything would fall into place and Lucy Heartfilia would definitely be his.

* * *

I AM BACK! Term tests and over and it's my term break right now. Sorry for the long wait. I know this chapter is really short but please bear with me. I'll try to update around the next week or so.

Was the chapter alright? I've introduced another character into the story. Eve won't make much appearances anymore unless I want Lucy to continue modelling. Maybe I'll add a few more modelling scenes and that'll be all for Eve (I'm sorry). I'm sorry for all the grammatical errors you have spotted as well.

So, how as your day? Alright? I slept the whole day today. I'm such a pig, I know. By the way, as you guys know, my story updating isn't regular. If you want to know when I'm going to update my stories/have new stories, I can give you a link to my blog so that you guys will know when I might update ^^

That's it for now, so goodbye! Have a nice day! ^^


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